13

Disclaimer: I don't own POTO, duh! But I do own any OC's I do not own Meg or Erik. Sadly..

Erik pushed Meg into an empty closet; and locked it. He wasn't going to lose her to Sebastian, or Alex, or anyone. Meg stumbled; and fell. Her head hit the wall; and she was blacked out.

When she woke up; Erik was leaning over her; a bottle of alchahol sat on the end table half full. Meg instantly shot up; backing away from him. He shook his head.

"Don't worry, I wasn't drinking any. You hit your head and made a small cut on it; it was bleeding a bit and I was taking care of it." Meg inched back to him; but still was afraid of him. She didn't say anything; and neither did he.She touched where the cut had been made; and felt a little blood. But not enough to be an emergency.

Meg was silent; He stood and told her that if she wanted to eat with him; dinner would be in the kitchen. He left; and Meg sat there alone. She rested against the pillow; and turned her head to the side. She saw her doll starring back at her. She grabbed it and held it tightly. For the first time ever, she was scared of Erik.

----

Meg hadn't come into the kitchen when dinner was ready; so he ate alone. He hated eating alone since Meg had first decided to stay with him and eat with him. When she'd left because of what he did; he didn't eat much. Only enough to keep him from starving to death. He glanced up and saw Meg standing in the door way; clutching onto her doll like a child.

"Hungry?" He asked. Meg didn't move. She was terrified of him, for the first time. In the past, when others feared him, she believed there was good in him. She just didn't know anymore. She inched in; clutching her doll. Erik eyed her usual seat; where she at one point did sit. "I'm sorry." He told her after the silence had become too much. "I can't touch anything without destroying it." She just poked at the food with the silver wear, unsure of what to say. "Did you have a fun date?"

"It wasn't a date.." She told him softly.

"Meg don't be so quiet. I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to yell at you, and I didn't mean to make you hit your head. I didn't mean to nearly strangle Raoul; I didn't mean to kill people with the chandelier; I didn't mean.." He went on about the past; about everything he didn't mean.

"It wasn't that you pushed me or yelled at me that hurt. I thought you trusted me.." She started out gentle; but soon got her tone back.

"I did." Erik's tone died down a bit now. "I did trust you. I trusted that you wouldn't touch the mask."

"Why didn't you want me to see it?" She her tone had risen. She was no longer afraid; but angry. "Why didn't you trust me enough?" Erik didn't answer; because he knew she knew the answer. "What is your reason?"

"I have my reasons!" he shouted at her.

"Then you are bewitched by reason." Erik stood up; he had lost control again. He would have to work on keeping himself calm.

"I am beaten down by it!" Meg crossed her arms; and started walking out. "where the hell are you going?"

"I'm going back to the dormitories!" She yelled back at him as she stepped into the water. But just as she made it half way out; she slipped on the wet foundation and let screamed.

----

Erik was at her side in a second. He didn't care if his pants legs got wet; he shut out all thoughts at that moment. He raced down the halls and saw Meg had fallen.Her head was not bleeding; but the only movements she was making, were her breaths. Erik fell to her side; trying to wake her up. Praying to god to keep her alive. Tears fell from his eyes as he begged for her to wake up.

After a while of waiting. Meg finally woke up. She sat up and held her head. Erik sat right beside her; keeping her from falling back down.

"Where..?" She asked dazedly. "God my head.."

"Meg. Meg are you alright?" Erik asked anxiously. She looked at him strangely.

"Who are you?"

"Very funny." Erik stood up and started to leave. "Here I came running; worried to death about you and-"

"No seriously." She stood up. "Who are you?" Erik froze and looked at her; he asked if she really didn't know him. "I really don't."

"Nothing at all?" She shook her head. "Well I suppose that's for the best. Come, I must take you back." Meg shook her head.

"Tell me your name." Erik looked at her strangely. But then spoke his name.

"Erik."

-----

Meg had him take her back to his home. The amazement in her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the place Erik called home. The organ amazed her; and everything else did as well. Erik watched as she moved about the lair as if she had never been there. Her fall had given her amnesia; and she was as if he'd never met her. He watched as she walked into the kitchen and found her doll sitting on the floor. She knelt beside it and picked it up. She walked to Erik and asked if the doll was his.

"No. It's yours." Meg smiled at him and held the doll. "Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

"Nothing." She assured him. "Erik, can I stay here with you?" Meg would have explained why; but Erik was already nodding.

----

That night he asked himself what would be the right thing to do. He could start a whole new relationship with her; he could act as if the year he burned down the opera house never happened. He could tell her so many things.

But then there was the fact that it wouldn't be the same.

He loved Meg, that was true, and he couldn't lie to her; he couldn't keep her from remembering everything.It was because of his own stupidity that he'd lost her the first time. Because of his own ignorance that he caused her to run and then she got hurt. He felt a tear run down his unmasked half of his face. But then a thin finger wiping it away. He looked to the side and saw Meg sitting next to him. She had her doll in her arms.

"What are you thinking?" She asked softly. "It must have been bad, it made you cry."

"Nothing."He told her, giving her an assuring smile. She smiled back at him; resting against him.

"OK. I've got a question." Meg started. "Where is Christine?"

"She, uh." He hated talking about it; but he reminded himself that Meg couldn't remember; so he answered. "She left with Raoul a year ago. The year the populaire almost burned to the ground."

"Really? Can you tell me how the Populaire caught fire?" Erik nodded and told her everything. The truth scared her a bit; but he told her that he'd never imagine hurting her. "Wow. That year really sucked."

"Yeah. But I'm trying to make this year a bit better." He had spoken of everything in that one sentence. When he'd met Meg and fallen for her. When he realized he could trust her with anything and everything. Which made him feel bad, because she would never have hurt herself if he hadn't overreacted about his mask. Meg had closed her eyes and enjoyed his company; and Erik had his arm on her waist. Her head rested under his jaw; and he loved it. Her breath was so soft; just about as soft as her milky white skin. Erik rose from where he was sitting; letting the sensation leave. "Meg, I'll be back soon. Don't leave. OK?"

"OK." Meg nodded; walking into the bedroom to get some sleep. Erik threw his cloak over his shoulders and stepped into his boat. He knew what the right thing to do was; he knew how it would play out. Or at least; he'd hoped it would go his way. But with the last year in mind; he doubted it would. He could only seek someone's help. Someone he'd hoped would trigger something in Meg's memory.